Aquata Cove Ch. 36

"Alright, thank you..." Erin said, "And we won't tell Nigel." She said. Merrick nodded as the guard poured more icy water onto the merman.

They spend almost an hour of sponging Merrick with the water, until time had ran out. Erin stashed all the empty water bottles into a bag, and the guard very carefully put the cuffs back onto his wrists. Erin knelt down, and stroked Merrick's shoulder.

"Look. I'm sorry I can't get you out of here," She started, "But I'll do whatever I can to pull some strings and make things easier for you." Merrick nodded at that, feeling both disappointed and grateful to her. Erin signed, "I'm so sorry for this..."

With that, the guard picked up the empty bucket, and exited the cell. He locked the door, and ignored the light switch. Erin walked along the hall with the guard right behind her.

~~~

Jacob snored softly as the light bulb inside his microscope flickered. A soft shove on his shoulder made him jolt a little. His head whipped around, and realized one of the security guards is right beside him.

"Oh God..." Jacob said as he stretched. He groaned as he adjusted his glasses, "Mmmm... What time is it?" He asked.

"A quarter past 2." The guard replied.

"Shit..." He moaned, "I'm so getting written up for this..."

"Ah, don't worry about it," The guard said, "Slap of the wrist, like always. Just take it in stride."

Jacob moved up, and peeked inside his microscope. He sighed as he slumped back in his chair, "Of course."

"What?"

"That was the last of the tears I had," Jacob said as he took the slide out of the microscope, and threw it into the Biohazard bin, "It's been distilled for God knows how long, now it's useless."

"Well, don't worry about that," The guard said as he dug in his pocket. Jacob turned his head as he heard a clinking sound. He gasped as he saw two vials side-by-side on the guard's hand, both filled with faintly twinkling fluid.

"Where did you get these?!" Jacob said as he plucked up the two vials, "There's a lot of it!"

"Mr Quinlan's assistant talked me into sneaking into the merman's cell to give him some water. Poor thing was crying almost the whole time. I snuck a vial, but he let Erin take some of his tears too while we were watering him."

"Oh, you are a life saver!" Jacob said as he hugged the guard, right before drawing another glass side.

"Whoa, you're not getting into it right now, are you??" The guard asked.

"Yeah! The sooner I crack this stuff, the better!" He said excitedly. Jacob unscrewed the top of the vial, and took a small syringe, and took out one drop of the tears.

"We gotta get home, Jac. You're pushing it enough as it is." The guard said as Jacob carefully put the tear onto the glass slide. He grins excitedly as the drop immediately began twinkling once on the bare glass. "C'mon..."

"You go ahead, Daniel. I gotta keep on with this." Jacob said as he picked up a beaker with one of the other chemicals.

"You drive me crazy, you know that?" Daniel put a hand onto the scientist's black hair, feeling the old, stiff spray wearing off on it, "You need a shower too..."

"I'll clean up in the showers here before I go home. Just go on." Jacob replied. Daniel sighed as he got up and put his hands on Jacob's shoulders. He rubbed them firmly for a while, before coming to a conclusion.

"I better get us a couple of Red Bulls." He said. He patted Jacob on the shoulder, "C'mere. I at least earned this." He turned Jacob's face, and pressed his lips on the other, and shared a momentary kiss. He kissed him a few times before standing up, and approached the door.

"Get me an apple too, please?" Jacob called without

"Right, babe." Daniel said without turning and exiting the lab, and turning towards the deserted cafeteria to get those energy drinks.

-- The Next Morning --

"The tank, huh?" Nigel said as he looked at Erin from his desk, with his assistant in the chair opposite him.

"The light bulbs burned out this morning, and we're out other heat bulbs," Erin reported, "And besides, I think he might change his mind about... 'Helping' us, if we accommodate him."

"That's an interesting proposition, Miss Connaly." Nigel said, "And if he would have kept his attitude under control, I might have even considered your suggestion." He said dismissively.

"What? Sir, think about it-"

"Miss Connaly." Nigel turned his seat, and stood up, "When a dog growls at you, simply because you're trying to train it, you don't reward it. You discipline it."

"Sir, with all due respect, that creature is dying in there. What good is it going to do us if he dies before you can get any information?"

"Kaiser's been hinting that he wants a new body to examine. If things go that way, we at least have an appealing autopsy to look forward to."

"Sir..." Erin said, shaking her head, "Are you really saying this?"

"He's making his own bed, Miss Connaly." Nigel said sternly, "If he starts answering any of my questions, then maybe I'll think about it. For now, as long as he keeps giving me death-glares, he stays in the cell."

"Mr Quinlan." Erin said, "What's the harm in just keeping him in a tank?" Nigel walked around his desk. Erin stood up herself, and looked him in the eyes.

"Tell you what..." Nigel said, "If I get ANY information out of him, I don't care how, I'll consider it." There was a pause between the two of them. "I'm waiting for a good reason, Miss Connaly." He said. Erin said nothing for the next minute. "I didn't think so." Nigel said as he walked around her.

Erin huffed, and closed her eyes as her boss walked to the door of his office. Nigel picked up his walkie, and pressed his thumb onto the button, and brought it to his mouth.

"Piscien."

Nigel froze in his tracks. The walkie buzzed lightly, before he released the button, and turned around. "Pardon?" Erin turned herself around, and looked at him.

"Piscien." She repeated. Nigel put the walkie back onto his belt, and walked back in.

"His last name?" He asked.

"No. It's his species..." She said, her stomach feeling a purge of reluctance.

"Go on..." Nigel replied.

"He says there are three kinds of merfolk in the ocean -- and he's one of the Piscien merfolk."

"What are the other two?"

"He wouldn't say," Erin answered, "Only that Pisciens represent fish in the ocean."

"Just fish?" Nigel asked.

"Yes. He said at one point, his boyfriend used the word 'Piscien' as a surname. No one would suspect it meant something, right?"

"Of course..." Nigel said, nodding, "That makes sense..." He looked back up, and approached his assistant, "See? Now we're talking..." He pats her shoulder, and gave an encouraging smile, "Good work... Erin."

Erin blinked at that. Nigel only calls his colleagues by their first name, "Sir, I-"

"As I said before..." Nigel continued, "As much as I would like to be his friend, I have no problem with playing the bad guy."

Erin's insides churned, "I- N-No, I-I"

"Of course," Nigel said, "It's hard to tell how long it's been since that tank's been used..." Erin felt her face turn cold as he looked into her eyes, "I'm not even sure it's safe for a fish to stay in..."

Erin compressed her shaking, and convinced herself to nod, "I'm... I'm sure it's good for use... Mr Quinlan, sir..."

"Please," He said, "Call me Nigel."

"Thank you... Nigel..." Erin replied, every inch of her feeling like icy ash.

"Anyway, I am a man of my word. He gets his tank... For now." He said before turning around, and leaving his office. Erin bows her head down, and sighed.

"... I'm sorry, Merrick..."

~~~

The chains from Merrick's cuffs glinted in the low light -- for whatever reason, the humans here have not turned his lights back on. The water from last night felt so good -- almost like being born again, after how much heat he's endured. However, his skin is still glowing with a hot pink color, and he still feels the residual heat, scarred into his flesh.

"Mnnnnhhh..." He moaned, "Adam..."

He jerked his head up as he heard the lock of the celldoor click. He tensed as he saw the guard from last night, and another guard come into the white cell.

"Alright, lets go, Merrick."

"No," Merrick responded as his cuffs were removed, and his arms held behind him, "I'm not answering-"

"Mr Quinlan isn't interrogating you today." Daniel said, "You are being moved to a different cell."

Merrick's stomach purged with fear as he was escorted reluctantly out of the cell. "Please, not that other place!" He said, "They have enough of my flesh! I'm not-"

"We're not taking you to the laboratory either," Daniel continued, "Mr Quinlan decided to place you into the tank."

"Wait! What's a tank?? I don't know what that is!"

~~~

Merrick blinked as he looked at this large, transparent cylinder, with a few plastic tubes and pumps built into it, right next to another, equally large container, filled with water, with a large machine nestled between the two containers. One of the human scientists stood waiting by the large contraption; Merrick recognizes his dark-framed glasses, pale skin, and black smooth hair -- it's that human who took some of his tears when he was put threw that lightning machine.

He looked to his left, and spotted Erin in this larger room, "Erin??" She looked over at him, and gave a smile and wave.

"Hi... Merrick."

"E-Erin," Merrick tried to go to her, but the guard kept him in place, "What's going on, what are they doing now??"

"It's... It's ok, Merrick..." Erin walked up to Merrick, and put her hand on his shoulder, "Trust me..."

Daniel can feel Merrick shaking as he nudged him to move forward. The other guard moved ahead, and unlocked a full-seal door to the empty tank. Merrick reluctantly moved closer to the opening until he was right up to it. He climbed up into the large glass container, and turned around as the guard sealed him back in.

The blonde, naked male pressed his palms on the glass as Daniel walked to the scientist. Jacob worked the buttons, and a few knobs -- all strange actions in Merrick's eyes. What could they be doing to him now?

Jacob grunted as he tried to turn the wheel of the machine to enter the final activation for the machine, but having always being lacking in the muscle department, the rusty turner is proving to be a difficult feat. Daniel patted his shoulder, and Jacob moved aside. The guard turned the wheel with a flex of his arms, clockwise four times.

Merrick gasped as he moved to the far end of the tank as the machine roared into life. He fell onto the bottom as loud noises churned and stirred from outside the container. He whimpered as he can hear something approaching from the holed glass of the tank.

"Filtering system working," Jacob said, "It's a little loud though."

"We'll get maintenance fix it up later," Said the other guard, "Anyway, fagfish should be happy now. Lets hope the bitching stops." With that, he turned and exited the tan room.

Merrick shook as he felt the whole tank vibrate, before the large holes gushed forth water. He yelped as it splashed on his legs, knees, and chest, and gasped as he sees the wet portions turn blue. He looked at his soaked hand as the webbed membranes formed between his fingers.

It took very little time for him to notice the water has reached to his stomach! His legs has already melded together to form his tail.

Erin, Jacob, and Daniel watched in awe as the water flowed and pumped into the tank, while the other tank from the opposite was being depleted of its water.

"Any notes, Jacob?" Erin asked, "This is freshwater, isn't it? You think there is any repercussions from not using seawater?"

"Hard to say right now," Jacob replied as the blue and silver creature rose up as the water filled up the tank, "If there is, we'll find out soon enough." The three of them watched as Merrick loomed gracefully in the water -- the tank is relatively small for something as long as Merrick.

"Alright, I'm gonna go make a report on this." Daniel said as he put his keys back on his belt, while Jacob also walked out.

~~~

Merrick turned, and saw the human scientist, and the security guard walk out from the glass door. He peered at them as they looked at each other outside.

Daniel and Jacob nuzzled each other affectionately, and gave a hug. "Try and come home tonight this time, Jac..." Daniel said, "I miss you."

"'Kay..." Jacob said with a nod. The two of them kissed, and parted in opposite directions.

Merrick's throat rumbled sadly as his webbed hand moved down, "Adam..." His eyes spotted his female ally, putting a hand onto the glass. Merrick swam down to her level. His mouth formed two familiar words as they looked at each other.

"Yeah..." Erin said, guilt racking her heart, "Don't mention it..."